Note: Today would have been Dr. Seuss's 117th birthday, also National Read Across America Day. This year's celebration of perhaps the most beloved children's author also coincides with the announcement that six Seuss books have been pulled from publication because of racist and insensitive imagery.
“It has often been said
there’s so much to be read,
you never can cram
all those words in your head.
So the writer who breeds
more words than he needs
is making a chore
for the reader who reads.
That’s why my belief is
the briefer the brief is,
the greater the sigh
of the reader’s relief is.
And that’s why your books
have such power and strength.
You publish with *shorth*!
(Shorth is better than length.)”
—Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) (1904-1991), children's book author.
• Editorial Comment: For journalists: “Write tight.”
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Ted Pease, Professor of Interesting Stuff, Trinidad, California. (Be)Friend The WORD
“I don’t think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.” —Tom Stoppard
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